The Opelousas courier., 1887-11-12
Secretary Lamar Makes an Issue with
Lind Commissioner Sparks.

Land Commissioner Sparks.
WASHINGTON, Nov. 11.-Secreeary Lamar
late this afternoon sent a letter to Comm1s-
sioner Sparks, replying to a communication
from him relative to the adjustment OF the
Chicago, st. Paul, Minneapolis and Omaha
srailroad land grants.
Commissioner Sparks criticised the ruling
Of Mr.. Lamar a8in opposition to the previous
rulings of himself and other secretaries and
the decisions Of the courts, and III answer
that gentleman takes up the points made by
Mr.. Sparks, and refutes them, and says,
have iu4t received a ommunicatlon bear
ing This date, changed by eraslre and inter
p~olation from a previous date, addressed 60
me by you. and will try to answer 1t at, once,
as the matter to which it relates has already
been unnecessarily delayed too long. Fortu-
nately I will be able to do this more !conve-
niently because every point submitted has
been the subject of reconsideration, having
been presented through the columns OF the
press, whose enterprise put them IN possess
sion OF these points before vas apprised
had incurred your disapproyal aid met With
[ have neither the disposition to enter
upon polemic discussions with q subordinate
nore5o engage with him at his insistence in a
gladiatorial combat, especially 80 III d mat
ter in which he has received, my carefully
matured instruction, in a matter OF pressing
my public duties. In no other way can the
function of a great public department BIO
successfully executed than for the chief to
command and for the su~bordinates to obey.
The letter concludes as follows:
You conclude jour paper with AAother
elaborate criticism of my decision upon the
branch of the Omaha road. You claim gross
error on my part in allowing Indemnity for
reservation, plttif-g your argument upon
the proviso to the granting act, under consld-
Grafton by me. It seems, however, to have
escaped your attention that it was neither
my purpose nor my duty, in communicating
the grant, 10 assume the task of etgdFincing
Won of the correctness Of these ineTnctions
by elaborate citations of all the, decided cases
applicable to the subject. L had conceived y
having kept in view my oath OF office, to
direct you as to what duties | required you
to perform. I~had also conceived it to be
equally your duty. under the same obl1ga-
tions, to obev my instructions or withdraw
yourself from the duty of 50 doing in tn eonly
way recognized under the laws and usages OF
public life in civilized countries, especially
conformity to the recent act of Congress,
which imposes upon me the exclusive duty
, of causin,s these grants to be adjusted. ,.
It therefore only remains for me, on this
point, to dispose of your elementary cita-
lions of legal maxims by informing you that
/ these Ire, in my opinion. entirely irrelevant.
The question has not BEEN been az you ros SUPPOSE fe ,
grant on a grant, but what was the meaning
a of the proviso in this particular grant. |
! gave you my opinion OF tlat meaning, anu
> YOU have shown me no shadow OF reason Tor
!, departing from the conclusion there stated.
! However we may differ in our CONSTRUCTION
Of statutes or of decided cases, and whatever
variance may exist in our conceptions OF our
!, public duties, [ am constrained to say to
you that there ia obviously one, point upon
! which we are in thorough accord. Upon this
= point YOU have succeeded in the
= cation before me in r1yetlng on my mind Q
= nrofound conviction that the practical effect
u Of your present course is that you cannot ex-
: ecute my orders and follow my Instructions
:. and CO. operate i'll my ADMINISTRATOR WITHOUT
surrendering opinions which should De con
e scientiously entertained with reference &c
= vitality important interests. / am as sincere
as vol can be in the profound conviction thai
nv instructions to you were in exact accord.
ance with the law of Congress, In line witt
g decisions of courts, and in support OF, the SUI
d prenlacy of the laws and their inviolabllity.
b 1t is impossible for me, in contrayentlon o.
INV own opinions, arrived at after long anC
ANXIOUS study, to surrender them to you,
Under these circumstances it is due to order
" and decorous administration OF the gov
ernment, to important public interests, ant
q the common cause committed IN part to you
hands by the President, AND to the persona
g regard we should both entertain for him, tina
l. he shall be allowed to choose 8, Secretary Q
the Interior who will conform his admins
Commissioner Of Public Lands who will dd
minister his bureau in harmony OF spirit an!
q concert of action with the CHEF OF the depart
X ment, and without compelling him to tn
y necessity of more decisive action on his part
B This alternative I shall submit to the Pres
N dent at the same time that this paper will b
u handed to you.